After School Polyamory
by ShinAyasaki
Summary: Snapshots of the budding and ongoing relationship of the After School Navigators. And Maki.
1. Chapter 1

**RinMaki**

"I like you, Rin," declared Maki, a soft wind rustling through her hair. "And I want to know if you you like me too."

The cat-like girl gasped in surprise, face turning crimson as she gazed into Maki's violet eyes. The feeling of Maki's hands clasped around hers was utterly unique, and made Rin's heart beat with a frequency she'd never associated with Maki previously. She gulped anxiously. "...but what about Kayo-chin?" she sputtered out, "What about Nico-chan?"

The redhead averted her eyes to their intertwined hands, a small amount of shame blooming into her cheeks. "Nico knows. She told me that, if it makes me happy, I should go for it. As for Hanayo, well... I'm not asking you to cheat on her, or to stop loving her. I want you to love her, just as I love Nico. I just... want to know if you might feel the same for me."

"So, Rin? Do you like me?"

* * *

 **NicoPana**

Hanayo opened the door to reveal a certain twin-tailed ravenette grinning at her. "Nico nico nii~!" she sang. The brunette didn't bother to tell her the routine was somewhat ruined by the six-packs of beer in each of Nico's hands.

"Hello, Nico-chan. What can I do for you?"

"You can invite me in, that's what! These six packs are heavy!" declared Nico as she stepped into the apartment. "Come on," she said, taking out a pair of bottles and tossing one to Hanayo, "Let's have fun tonight."

The shy girl blinked as Nico popped open her bottle and began drinking, before slowly doing the same and taking a small sip. "...It's not bad," she decided.

"Of course not. I got the good stuff this time, not that cheap crap. Anyway!" Nico pulled off a backpack and tossed it on the kitchen counter. "I've got cards, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and like, half the pieces for a game of Chess. What do you want to do?"

"Nico-chan, why are you here?" asked Hanayo bluntly.

Nico didn't reply for a few seconds. "...Because I'm lonely?" she shrugged, "Because Maki and Rin are out having fun without us and we're just sitting here at home twiddling our thumbs until they get back? Why _**not** _be here?"

"...Tonight is laundry night?" tried Hanayo halfheartedly.

"Well forget that! My life doesn't revolve around Maki and your life doesn't revolve around Rin. We're our own persons too, so let's do something to prove it!"

Hanayo looked at Nico. Then she looked to the basket full of dirty laundry she had planned on washing as it sat pathetically against the wall. Then she looked at the beer in her hand. She made her decision and chugged.

Nico looked on, impressed that the shrinking violet of the group could down so much at once. Hanayo wiped her mouth with her sleeve and let out a small cough.

"You said you had Blu-Rays?"

* * *

 **MakiPana**

Hanayo's lip quivered as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry," she cried quietly as she huddled into herself, "I didn't mean for it to happen, but... but we were just watching DVDs, and she brought over some cherry juice and vodka mix, and one thing led to another, and... I didn't mean to kiss her!"

Violet eyes stared down at the mousy young woman, blinking as Hanayo's concerns finally came to light. Maki sighed, before stepping close to draw the girl into a hug. "I'm not mad, Hanayo," she murmured. "Not at you, not at Nico, not at anyone."

Hanayo sniffed against Maki's shoulder. "But..."

"I mean it," continued the redhead. "If anything, you should be mad at me, for interrupting your life with my feelings." She sighed. "Some friend I am..."

"That's not fair to you," defended Hanayo. "You can't help what you feel, and you make Rin-chan happy. You make Nico-chan happy. And when you hold me like this, you make me happy too..."

Maki drew back and looked into glistening pink irises, before leaning forward to rest her forehead against Hanayo's. "You know, I think Rin's right. You really are the cutest."

The brunette gave a small smile, a small blush blossoming on her tear-stained cheeks. "I think Nico-chan would disagree."

"Yeah, but her ego is larger than the moon," replied Maki, smiling as Hanayo giggled. "But I guess that's just part of why we love her, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

The redhead stepped back, happy to see Hanayo smiling back at her. "Come on," she coaxed as she grabbed a tray of lemonade, "Let's get back to the living room. I'm sure they're getting thirsty."

Hanayo chirped in agreement and grabbed the snacks. As the pair entered the living room, they were met with an unexpected sight.

"Oh for fuck's sake," swore Maki in annoyance.

Nico and Rin broke their lip lock, hurriedly scrambling away from each other to opposite ends of the couch and trying to act like they hadn't just been trying to shove their tongues down each other's throat.

"" _She started it!_ "" they chorused, pointing accusatory fingers at each other.

Maki and Hanayo exchanged an exasperated glance and sighed.

* * *

 **Just a Game**

"Maki-chan wins again! Yay!" cheered Rin.

"Naturally," said Maki smugly as she twirled her hair around a finger. "And this round's loser will be Nico."

"Hacks!" shouted a crimson-faced Nico as she stood for her punishment, "I'm calling hacks!" She sent a vicious glare Maki's way to emphasize just who she was accusing as she slipped out of her shorts.

"We're playing strip poker, there's nothing to hack," retorted Maki as she looked over Nico's nearly naked body with interest.

"I still think you're cheating!" protested the ravenette. "You probably have extra cards stashed all over the place."

The shirtless redhead scoffed. "Just where am I keeping these alleged extra cards?" She sent a hand to frisk under her bra. "Hmm, nope, no cards there, just a larger bust size than you'll ever hope to have."

"You leave my chest out of this!"

"Now, now, settle down, Nico-chan, Maki-chan," said Hanayo soothingly as she gathered the cards for another round. "I'm sure the next time we play it'll be Nico-chan who has all the luck."

"Damn straight!" agreed the shortest girl, "And when I do, it'll be Maki who gets naked."

* * *

 **Good Morning**

The first thing that greeted Nico as she awoke that morning was Rin's butt.

Nico blinked, taking in the sight of the orange-haired girl's rear with a strange mixture of confusion, disbelief, and appreciation. She tilted her head to get a better angle, nodding to herself as she came to the conclusion that Rin's butt was most definitely her charm point.

She pushed up to a sitting position, noting with mild annoyance that the weight draped over her thighs was actually Maki's head, and that Hanayo was partially buried beneath Rin. She also noted how naked they all were. Memories of the previous night suddenly shot to the forefront of her mind, and Nico could only look down to the Twister game mat they were all lying on.

Apparently when you combine four drunk girls who are all dating each other with one game of Twister, you get a foursome to remember, no matter how hungover the participants are.

Nico could only hope that Nozomi could forgive...

Fuck that; Nozomi totally knew she wouldn't be getting her game back.

A groan of awakening suddenly sounded out, one that Nico felt just as much as she heard it. She looked down to see Maki pick herself up and look around blearily. They locked eyes.

"...Well," began Maki, "This is almost awkward."

Nico shrugged. "Not really. Now get off me so I can draw on Rin's face."

"Fine, fine," acquiesced the redhead as she picked herself up. "But I wanna draw on Hanayo's."

And so, on the morning after their drunken foursome, Rin ended up with 'Stupid' written on her forehead, while Hanayo got 'I'm With Stupid'.

* * *

 **A Great Idea!**

"This is a terrible idea," stated Maki bluntly.

Nico frowned, staring back defiantly. "It's a great idea," she reiterated. "If Hanayo going on a diet isn't something she's comfortable with, then increasing her physical activity is the only other option."

The brunette in question peeked out from behind Maki's back, almost quivering as she gazed upon the contraption that Nico had somehow roped Maki into setting up at one of her family's mansions. "I'm willing to reconsider my stance on the diet," she squeaked out.

"There you go," declared Maki, "Job done. Now can we please get back to our apartment?"

"Hey! I did _not_ set this up so Hanayo would be intimidated into dieting!" retorted Nico. "Come on, it's already set up so let's try it out!"

"Yeah!" enthused Rin, "This looks super fun nya! Come on Kayo-chin, Maki-chan!"

"Oh for the love of..." Maki exhaled loudly, making her stance clear as she put her foot down. "I am NOT having sex while swinging on a chandelier!"

"S-Seconded," stuttered Hanayo.

"Well fine!" huffed Nico. She turned to the orange-haired cat girl. "Rin, let's go!"

"Yeah!" cheered Rin as she and Nico walked over to the ladder and started stripping.

From the edge of the room, Maki sighed before pulling out her phone and dialing a number.

"Should we do anything?" asked Hanayo worriedly.

"I'm calling my family's personal medical team right now," said Maki.

Hanayo nodded thoughtfully as some of her worries were placated. Then the sound of a chandelier swinging back and forth reached her ears, and the worry came flooding back.

"Hello, this is Nishikino Maki. Please have the Nishikino personal medical team placed on standby until further notice."

"NICO-CHAN LOOK OUT!"

"NICO-NICO-NOOOO!"

 _CRASH!_

Maki closed her eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. "...On second thought, just send them now."

.

* * *

 **AN: I originally wrote these for my other story, Airplane Annoyances. They were supposed to be excerpts from what Riko was reading (because she thrives on lesbian polyamory) but they didn't really fit into the narrative. So I shelved them, and added to them, and then figured I may as well make 'em its own thing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**NicoRin**

Nico and Rin sat before the TV, the former idly flipping channels as the latter sat awkwardly against the other arm of the couch. They were supposed to be watching a movie, but Maki and Hanayo were still getting snacks and it would have been rude to start without them. But for the sake of keeping their energy up, Nico had generously brought some hard candy, popping one in her mouth before offering another to Rin.

That had been ten minutes ago. Neither girl had said a word since.

From her spot, Rin spared a glance at Nico and silently sighed. They were supposed to be friends, but this wasn't an atmosphere of friendship. It was tense, charged with an undercurrent of something Rin couldn't quite identify. Rin didn't like it when things were this heavy.

She went to move the hard candy around in her mouth, but realized it had already melted away. An idea popped into her head.

"Hey, Nico-chan. I bet my tongue is bluer than yours."

"What? Are you serious? Geez, how much of a kid are you?"

Rin stuck out her tongue at the other girl. "Nya!"

Nico lolled her head over to look at Rin's tongue, and she scoffed. "Please! My tongue is way bluer than that!"

"Then prove it nya!"

"Bleh!' Nico stuck out her tongue.

"Nya!"

"Bleh!"

"NYA!"

"BLEH!"

" _NYA!"_

" _BLEH!_ "

And the next thing they knew, they were kissing.

Their tongues were locked in a hot battle of dominance, breathing relegated to the back burner as they explored each other's mouths with abandon. Arms wrapped around one another in an embrace before hands began exploring bodies, both girls now on a quest to elicit the most moans from their partner.

In the back of their minds, Nico and Rin knew this was no 'proper' confession, but they didn't care. Here, locked in equal passion and affection, everything just felt right.

They were so engrossed in their kissing, neither heard the approaching steps of Maki and Hanayo until they were already in the room.

"Oh for fuck's sake," swore Maki in annoyance.

Nico and Rin broke their lip lock, hurriedly scrambling away from each other to opposite ends of the couch and trying to act like they hadn't just been trying to shove their tongues down each other's throat.

"" _She started it!_ "" they chorused, pointing accusatory fingers at each other.

Maki and Hanayo exchanged an exasperated glance and sighed.

* * *

 **Christmas Capers**

"Hanayo."

The sound of her name being spoken caused the brunette to tense up, and she inadvertently tightened her grip on her favorite redhead before forcing herself to relax her muscles. She took in a deep, slow inhale of breath and did her best to remain passive.

"Hanayo, I know you're awake."

"No you don't," retorted Hanayo instinctively, before biting her lip in self chastisement.

Maki sighed. "What's this about?" she asked as the sounds of hushed whispers emanated from the living room. "What are Nico and Rin doing this time?"

Hanayo let out a disappointed huff in her failure to keep Maki distracted as she wrapped herself tighter around the redhead. If she couldn't keep Maki here through feigning sleep, maybe she could keep her in bed with force. "I don't know and I don't care. But I wanna stay here and cuddle some more," she replied.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, but before she could question it further, the alarm clock went off.

Quick as a flash, Hanayo leapt up and slammed her hand on the off button, before practically tackling Maki back to the bed. Maki could only stare blankly at the ceiling as the brunette burrowed into the crook of her neck.

"...Are you supposed to keep me here while Nico and Rin pretend to be Santa?" ventured Maki.

A squeak from Hanayo told her she was right on the money. "...No," denied the mousy woman anyway.

From the living room, a voice whisper-yelled, " _You tied my finger to the present! Again!_ "

This was quickly followed by, " _I'm sorry Nico-chan!_ "

"...Maybe," amended Hanayo. Maki only sighed. "I-It's not that Santa doesn't care," stuttered out Hanayo in an attempt to salvage the situation, "It's just that he's super busy this year so Nico-chan and Rin-chan decided to help him out."

"I know Santa isn't real," deadpanned Maki.

"Oh. Um... How did you know?"

"Before the four of us got together, Nico tried the exact same thing on her own. She almost set the apartment on fire," explained Maki. She let that sink in.

"...Oh," replied Hanayo.

"Also, mama and papa told me when I turned 18. It was the saddest day of my life."

* * *

 **The Cuddliest**

"Kayo-chin is the cuddliest!" declared Rin suddenly as she threw herself into the brunette's arms.

Surprised, the catlike woman's girlfriends could only stare. "...What are you on about now?" asked Maki eventually.

Rin frowned but took it in stride, burrowing her face into the brunette's neck. "It's like I said. Between the four of us, Kayo-chin is the cuddliest!"

"R-Rin-chan!" stuttered Hanayo in embarrassment. "That's not true. I think you're cuddlier than I am."

"Excuse me?! No one can beat the amazing Nico-Nii when it comes to cuddles," sniffed Nico, mildly offended. "In fact..." She made a dramatic pose and pointed to Hanayo. "Hanayo, I challenge you to a cuddle off!" The before anyone could stop her, she glomped the brunette's back, eliciting a squeak.

"Nico-chan, where are you touching?!"

"Oh wow! Hanayo really is great for cuddling!" realized Nico as she made a few experimental grabs.

"I know, right?" crowed Rin in agreement. She too joined in on Nico's groping.

"Wha- Hey! Rin-chan! Nico-chan!" exclaimed Hanayo.

"Alright that's enough!" said Maki sternly as she pried the two off the mousy woman. Nico and Rin pouted, but didn't object.

Hanayo sighed in relief. "Thank you Maki-chan."

"Of course," nodded the redhead.

Then without further adieu, she pulled Hanayo in for her own cuddle.

In the end, they all agreed: Hanayo was the cuddliest.

* * *

 **(Not) Suffering in Silence**

The sound of drilling filled the small apartment, once again causing Nico to crash her head against her arms and the counter top below in aggravation. She gave off a loud moan in suffering as she squirmed.

From the couch, Hanayo and Rin looked on in worry, clutching their School Idol Collection trading cards closer to their chests. Several seconds later, when the drilling stopped, Nico slowly raised her head and she returned to normal.

"Nico-chan?" asked Hanayo, "Are you okay?"

"No I'm not okay!" retorted Nico irritably. "All this drilling, hammering, and smashing is going to drive me insane!"

"But the renovation is all for a good cause though," said Hanayo diplomatically.

Nico scoffed. "Yeah, because Maki decided she'd rather live one floor up than find a bigger place to rent out. Seriously. We're already a week into this hell and these renovations won't be done until the end of the month! We have to live here, you know!"

"Actually," corrected Rin, " _We_ have to live here," she said gesturing to herself and Hanayo. "You just have nowhere else to be."

The shortest girl raised a ladle at Rin threateningly. "Oi, don't sass the cook."

Rin only stuck out her tongue in response.

"Nico-chan, we all agreed this was the best way we could all live together," reminded the brunette.

"Yeah, but no one mentioned how disruptive this would be!" complained the ravenette. "I snuck up there just yesterday, and they haven't even started stripping the floors yet! Can you imagine how loud that's gonna be?"

"Did you have anything in mind then?" asked Hanayo.

"Actually yeah, I do." Nico turned to Maki, the redhead sitting on the other side of the room, reading peacefully beneath the light from the window. "Hey Maki, if you're rich enough to pay for a month's worth of renovations, why couldn't you get us some decent temp housing till the end of the month?"

The redhead didn't respond.

Rin and Hanayo exchanged glances while Nico looked on in annoyance, before the orange-haired catgirl stood and walked over.

"Maki-chan? Maki-chan!" Rin reached out and shook the redhead's shoulder.

Maki looked up and took out her earphones. "Yeah?" she asked nonchalantly. She frowned as the drilling started up yet again. "What is it?" she asked once it'd stopped.

"Hey! If you're going to have the entire top floor remodeled with us still living here instead of some temp housing, the least you could do is suffer with the rest of us!" snapped Nico.

"There's no point in us staying in temp housing if we don't need to. And why don't you just use the earplugs I got you?" retorted Maki.

"I tried. It turns out they're too good. I couldn't hear the tea kettle going off, and when I went to check on it half the water had already boiled off."

"That sounds more like a you problem."

"Oh dear," deadpanned Nico, "It looks like all our tomatoes are rotten and need to be thrown away."

Maki rolled her eyes. "Like you would waste food like that. Besides, I can always get more."

"Seriously?" snorted the ravenette. "The last time we went to the market I turned my back for two seconds and you were gone. I had to pick you up at the lost children's area."

Maki's blush was luminescent as she looked away. "...It was a good lollipop," she defended weakly.

"Oh!" said Rin as her eyes lit up in realization. "So that's why Nico-chan got you a bell collar!"

"Um, actually Rin-chan, that's a sex thing," corrected Hanayo.

The redhead couldn't help but sigh as Rin pondered the implications of that statement. "Look," she said, addressing Nico as she stood, "You're the one who's all about frugality, so us staying here during renovations is just me being thrifty. We can tolerate it, so we shouldn't have to pay to do anything about it. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go wash up before dinner." And with a hair flip of finality, she started towards the bathroom.

"Maki-chan," called Hanayo, "You can't use the bathroom right now. They shut off the water."

Maki froze. "...What?"

Beside the brunette, Rin nodded. "Yeah, we got a letter earlier today saying they needed to shut off the water until tomorrow, nya."

"Why else did you think I started cooking dinner at 2:30 in the afternoon?" scoffed Nico as she adjusted the stove's heat.

"...that means we can't take any baths," observed Maki.

"It also means we need to buy something at the convenience store every time someone needs to use the restroom," griped Nico.

Rin grimaced. "Rin doesn't want to use that bathroom," she winced. Hanayo put a soothing hand on her shoulder and pulled her in close for comfort.

"We also can't have sex," said Maki.

"What the heck?!" exclaimed Nico, "I mean, yeah, not unless you want everyone to be able to smell who was doing who, but that kinda pales in comparison to our other problems, don't you think?!"

Hanayo nodded. "Especially since they're going to keep shutting off the water periodically until the renovations are done," she added. With those words, Maki's head slumped.

Sighing, the redhead turned to Nico. "I'll see what I can do."

The after school navigators exchanged a round of looks. Nico smirked. "Why Maki, you thirsty little-"

"Shut up."

* * *

 **It's Not a Competition; Oh Wait, Yes It Is**

"It's time to settle this once and for all!" declared Nico, "Which of us is the cutiest panther!"

Maki scoffed. "It's 'cutest', not 'cutiest'," she corrected.

"Does that mean you forfeit?"

"Hell no!"

"Rin wants in on this too nya~!" decided the catgirl.

In response, Nico and Maki exchanged unsure glances.

"Come on!" pleaded Rin, "Panthers are cats, right? I'm a cat! And I've filled in for Eli-chan before!"

The two panthers turned their backs and deliberated in hushed whispers before reaching a decision. "Okay fine," said Nico, "But only because we need someone to fill in for Eli and you've already done it once."

"Yay!"

"Now all we need is a judge," said Maki, turning to the last member of their little group.

"M-M-M-Me?!" stuttered out Hanayo.

"Of course! You're the fairest, most unbiased judge we could ever hope to have," praised Nico unabashedly. She bounded up and wrapped herself around one of Hanayo's arms, cuddling up to the girl.

"Nico-chan? This is a little..."

"Kayo-chin is the cutest judge~!" exclaimed Rin, doing likewise to Hanayo's other arm.

"Eh?! Rin-chan too?!"

"So? Hanayo?" asked Maki as she sauntered up to the brunette. She pressed herself closely against Hanayo's chest, a hand lifting Hanayo's chin as she gazed intensely into pink irises, leaving the brunette a blushing and stuttering mess. "Which of us is the panther you have eyes for?"

"S-S-Somebody save me!"

But nobody did, and the panthers pounced.

* * *

 **AN: And thus concludes the second chapter of the NicoMakiRinPana extravaganza! I wasn't sure I'd make it this far, lol!**

 **Anyways, about Rin substituting for Eli... If you don't know, Eli's seiyuu couldn't attend one of their Lives so Rin's seiyuu filled in for _Diamond Princess no Yuutsu_. On a related note, Nozomi's seiyuu filled in during _Love Novels_. That's not likely to come up in this story, but hey, the more you know.  
**


	3. Interlude - Maki's Dating Simulator

**AU Interlude - Maki-chan's Dating Simulator:**

A classical melody is the first thing I hear in the morning, a sample soundbite from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony that's served as my daily alarm for the past several years. As feeling returns to my muscles, I reach a hand over and quiet the music as I automatically stretch within the comfort of my bed. A few seconds pass by before I open my lilac eyes. What I see is a large room that could best be described as luxuriously spartan. With a sigh, I get out of bed and start my morning routine.

My name is Maki, Nishikino Maki. I'm a fifteen, almost sixteen year old girl who's about to embark on her first day of high school at Otonokizaka Academy. Otonokizaka is an older school with a proud lineage, having produced many famous and powerful alumni over the years. It's also far from my first choice for high school.

I'd wanted to attend the more modern UTX, but my parents wanted the heir to their dynasty to attend Otonoki, despite my wishes. I'd tried to convince them otherwise, but they wouldn't budge. It might have been different if Otonokizaka was on the verge of closure, only just barely able to throw together a single class of first years, but unfortunately for me it wasn't.

But there's no point in crying over spilled milk. I promised myself to make the most of my high school life, no matter where it is I attend.

And actually, the daily commute isn't too stressful. It's actually kind of nice to just stroll through the city. Everyone is busy, but no one's in such a rush that anyone would run into-

BAM!

...Of course that would happen.

Groaning, I open my eyes and pick myself up off the sidewalk, rubbing my side as I look down to see a short, orange-haired girl dressed in the same uniform as me sprawled out on the pavement.

"Owwies... That really hurt, nya!" she declared. She looked up and finally noticed me. "Oh no! I bumped into a really pretty girl!" she yelped. Hmph. Flatterer. "I'm sorry about that, nya!"

...

 **1 - "It's alright, just be more careful next time."**  
2 - "How dare you run into me?! My father will sue you!"  
3 - Put it in

...

"It's alright, just be more careful next time," I said as I helped her up.

"Thanks, nya!" She noticed my uniform. "Hey, are you also a first year at Otonokizaka?" she asked.

I was about to reply when a loud cry of "Rin-chan!" interrupted us and a brunette girl ran up panting. She took a few seconds to gather her breath before she immediately started scolding the other girl.

"Rin-chan, I told you not to get so excited! You might have really hurt her!"

The catlike girl, Rin I suppose, shrunk back and winced. "I'm sorry Kayo-chin..."

The brunette just sighed and turned to me. "Are you okay? Rin-chan didn't hurt you, did she?"

...

 **1 - "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."**  
2 - "I have three fractured ribs. Your friend is going to prison for assault."  
3 - Put it in

...

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern," I responded.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said with a smile.

Rin turned to her suddenly. "Hey, Kayo-chin! Look at what she's wearing! She's also a first year, right? Right?"

I nodded. "Yep. I'm Nishikino Maki. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"My name is Koizumi Hanayo," returned the cute brunette.

"And I'm Hoshizora Rin nya~!" cheered the catgirl.

I smiled at the pair of cute girls as we all continued our walk to Otonokizaka, chatting all the way. Well, I say we talked together, but it was mostly the two of them exchanging words while I chimed in every now and again whenever one of them asked me a question. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything. I'm just not very talkative.

They seemed to realize that I was worried about that, because just before we reached the school gates Hanayo leaned in and told me she was also really shy around strangers. Then she said that she hoped we could be friends. I've only known her for a few minutes, but she already seems like an angel. And she smells really sweet too.

As we passed through the gates and into the courtyard, there were all sorts of girls shouting out, advertising their clubs to all the freshmen walking in. Rin stepped in to protect Hanayo from the really pushy girls, and I helped out a bit too, firmly but politely rejecting any offers that came our way.

Eventually though, we got surrounded by them. They closed in from all sides, like a pack of hunters stalking their prey. I didn't know what to do at that point, but thankfully Rin was there, and she acted as soon as Hanayo shouted out for someone to save her.

I guess Rin decided she liked me at that point, because she grabbed Hanayo's arm in one hand and mine in the other, then she just... took off running, dragging us with her like it was the easiest thing in the world.

We plowed through the rest of the recruiters and into the building, completely overshooting the shoe lockers as we shot into one of the corridors.

The next thing I knew...

BAM!

Someone (probably me, if I'm honest) tripped and we were all falling into one big girl pile. I ended up on top, and Rin gave me a nickname. Apparently I was now Pile-sama.

I was about to retort that it was a stupid nickname when a twin-tailed girl wearing a third year ribbon and shorter than all of us smiled down at us with shining eyes and extended a hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked in a high-pitched voice that I couldn't believe was natural. She gasped suddenly. "Oh no! Don't tell me you were actually falling head over heels for my charm? I couldn't possibly accept your feelings, though I suppose it's only natural for an idol as magnificent as I."

After picking myself up, I was about to tell her where she could put her attitude when Hanayo spoke up.

"You're an idol?! Like, a school idol?" She sounds really excited at the prospect.

The girl giggled before breaking into some strange routine she seemed to have down to a T. "Nico Nico Nii~! Anata no Heart ni Nico Nico-nii, Egao todokeru Yazawa Nico Nico~ Nico-nii te oboeteru Love Nico~"

...well that's horrifying. Please never do that again.

"Oh my gosh that's so cool!" cheered Hanayo.

Really? We avoided all the crazies on the way in and now you want to join up with this one? She's almost certainly the worst of the bunch, you know.

"If Kayo-chin is impressed than so is Rin nya!" Talk about easily impressed. Geez.

She then turns her shining crimson eyes to me.

"Would you like to join the school idol research club?"

...

 **1 - "No thanks. I'm not really interested in idols."**  
2 - "Get away from me you wannabe Cinderella Girl reject!"  
3 - Put it in

...

"No thanks. I'm not-" I start to say back, before I'm interrupted rather abruptly.

"Yes, yes, yes!" shrieks Hanayo wildly, stars shining in her eyes as she jumps up and down excitedly.

"Yay!" celebrates Rin just as enthusiastically, "We're idols now!"

The third-year, Nico I believe, flashes them a full toothed grin. "That's right you are!" she tells them. She turns her beaming smiles to me. "So?" she asks expectantly, "Can I get three for three?"

I purse my lips and furrow my brow. This is getting way too out of hand for me. "No thanks. I'm not really interested in idols," I say back.

Now standing behind Nico, Rin and Hanayo frown and look at me with dejected eyes. Well sorry! But I'm not going to get involved with some really shady one woman club on the first day of school without even a minute of thought! I wish Hanayo and Rin the best and hope it works out, but there's no way I would ever do something so spontaneous.

As for Nico herself, her smile falls into a line as she looks me up and down. ...h-hey now, just what are you looking at so intently?!

"That's a shame," she says, "With a figure and stamina like yours I think you could really go far." She smirked. "Maybe not as far as Nico-nii, but it's a good start."

"What do you know about my stamina?! And don't look at me with such lecherous eyes!"

Nico shrugged. "I saw the three of you run in. Literally. Admittedly, we'd need to work on your footwork so you don't trip over yourself dancing onstage..." So I did trip earlier. "...but I know you'd be able to achieve anything with enough determination."

Huh. That's probably the first thing she said that actually made her sound like a proper senpai.

"But I get it. If you don't think you can handle being an idol, than I won't force you." She began walking off, flipping her twin-tails dismissively for good measure. "In the meantime, why don't I be a magnanimous and generous idol and show you to your classroom?"

This girl is still really annoying. But none of us knew where to go so we ended up following Nico. As we walked, Hanayo and Rin tried to convince me to join them.

"Please Maki-chan? This is something I really think could be fun for all of us!" pleaded Hanayo gently.

"Come on, Pile-sama! One of us! One of us!" chanted Rin obnoxiously.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline," I said, rebuffing Hanayo as gently as I could. Then I turned to Rin and flicked her forehead. "And don't call me that!"

They begged some more along the way to the classroom, Nico occasionally joining in, but I remained firm.

No way.

I am not getting suckered into joining an idol group.

...

Somehow I got suckered into joining an idol group.

Well, damn.

It was the weekend now, and the four of us were all over at my house to plan out just how were going to do this idol thing anyway. It turns out that Nico was apparently an accomplished costumer, Hanayo had a diary full of wishes and dreams she could scavenge for lyrics, and Rin was the type to break out into spontaneous dancing that could be used as actual choreography with a bit of refinement. And naturally, I was the composer for our music.

So we had the four main roles for an idol group covered. Our current concern was trying to fit those pieces together.

"We should plan the music with the costumes first!" declared Nico. "There's no point in wearing peppy jumpsuits with skirts if Maki's going to end up composing a funeral dirge."

"No way, the lyrics should be the basis," stated Hanayo. "An energetic song would work a lot better if we're not singing about unrequited love and a broken heart."

"Nuh uh!" denied Rin. "Dancing is the first step nya! I gotta know when Maki's gonna drop the bass!"

It should be mentioned that we were all going to coordinate our efforts.

"Costumes!"

"Lyrics!"

"Dancing!"

This argument was just about who would coordinate first.

"Costumes!"

"Lyrics!"

"Dancing!"

Apparently they all wanted to be the first to coordinate with me.

"Costumes!"

"Lyrics!"

"Dancing!"

I sighed audibly, drawing them out of their argument. And just like that, they found a solution to their dilemma.

The three stared at me intensely, expecting a decision.

...

1 - Coordinate music with Nico's costumes  
2 - Coordinate music with Hanayo's lyrics  
3 - Coordinate music with Rin's choreography  
 **4 - Put it in**

...

...well there was no way siding with one over the others was going to make everyone happy, so I took the only logical course of action to satisfy all of them.

Hours later, the four of us were curled up together on my bed, sweaty and naked and exhausted but very, very satisfied.

Rin was nuzzling into my neck as her lithe body pressed against and around my right half.

On my left, Hanayo was cradled in my arm, my bicep her pillow as she breathed deeply in contentment.

Atop me was Nico, our smallest senpai holding me in an adoring hug as she burrowed into my chest.

As I lay there, immersed in the afterglow, I thought back over the short time I'd known these three, and you know what?

I think I'm going to like Otonokizaka much better than I'd have liked UTX, and it's all thanks to these wonderful girls right here.

 **~END~**


	4. Chapter 3

**The Honest Idol (aka,** **Hanayo's Harem)**

The afternoon sun beamed brightly on a pair of girls as they walked along the side of a shimmering azure lake. The two held hands as they walked leisurely, sharing the occasional exchange as they enjoyed the beauty of nature and the comfort of the other's companionship.

But as a flight of doves passed overhead, a thought suddenly sprouted in the catgirl's head.

"Ne, Kayo-chin? Can you carry Rin for a while?"

"Eh? Why do you want that?" asked Hanayo.

The catgirl looked down shyly. "Rin just wants to feel like a princess for a bit. That's all..."

The brunette looked to Rin fondly. "Of course I will." Preparing herself, Hanayo signaled with a nod and Rin happily fell into her girlfriend's welcoming arms. Then she began to lift.

Hanayo's face contorted into an expression of distress. "Um, Kayo-chin? Are you okay?" asked Rin with worry.

"I... I can't...!" And that was when Hanayo tripped, sending her girlfriend into the lake.

"Nya!" exclaimed Rin.

 _Splash!_

"Ah! Rin-chan!" cried Hanayo in alarm. She reached towards the water only to recoil as the water began to bubble. "Eh?"

Suddenly, a teal-eyed, purple-haired woman emerged from the lake, levitating above the water with a serene smile on her face. She gazed calmly upon Hanayo. "Oh my. You seem to have dropped a lesbian into the lake."

Hanayo was stunned. "I... what?"

Nozomi smiled. "Allow me to assist you." She plunged a hand deep into the lake's depths and pulled forth a pig-tailed ravenette, soaked to the bone and shivering.

"W-W-What the heck is going on h-h-here?!" exclaimed Nico through chittering teeth.

"Is this the lesbian you dropped into the lake?" asked Nozomi, hefting the girl's shirt collar.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" complained Nico. "And let me go! Don't look down on me because I'm a bit short!"

Hanayo shook her head. "No, it isn't."

"Hmm. A shame," said Nozomi.

"Great. Now that we've established that I don't know this girl, can you put me down now?"

Nozomi granted her wish as she plunged Nico back into the chilly abyss, the ravenette only having enough time to gargle an angry protest. Hanayo looked on fearfully.

Rummaging around, Nozomi pulled out her arm again, this time holding an alluring redhead, also sopping wet.

"What's going on?! How did I get here?!" panicked Maki.

"Is this the lesbian you dropped into the lake?" asked Nozomi, hefting the girl's shirt collar.

"Answer me!" demanded the redhead, "Or else papa's going to sue you out of house and home!"

"Um... no," rejected Hanayo.

Nozomi shrugged. "If you say so."

Maki looked at the both of them, helpless to resist. "What's going on? I don't understand..." she muttered before Nozomi plunged her back into the lake.

Nozomi once again searched the water's depths before finally finding purchase. With a small smile on her face, she retracted her hand to return a familiar face back to the surface.

"Blegh!" sputtered the ginger as she spat out water. She gasped. "Kayo-chin!"

"Rin-chan!" called Hanayo.

"Is this the lesbian you dropped into the lake?" asked Nozomi, hefting the girl's shirt collar.

"Yes! Yes she is! Please return her to me!" pleaded Hanayo.

"Now, now," chided Nozomi, "I need to hear you say it properly before I can do that."

Clearing her throat, the brunette looked the lady of the lake in the eye. "Yes, this is the lesbian I dropped into the lake."

Nozomi smiled, a bright aura of bliss emanating from her divine form. "Indeed she is," she remarked. "And for your honesty, you may have all of them!"

And the next thing Hanayo knew, she was suddenly underneath a pile of three very wet girls as they pawed at her for warmth.

"Wah! Where are you all touching?!" shrieked the brunette.

"Enjoy the harem!" chirped Nozomi before disappearing with a flash.

"That lake was so cold..." breathed Nico with a shiver.

"And Kayo-chin is so warm...!" continued Rin.

"And everyone knows the best way to warm up is to share body heat through direct skin contact," finished Maki.

"Wait, hold on! That's not something we should do on the first date! Kyaaa! Someone save me!"

* * *

 **Bringing Back Memories**

When Nico and Maki entered their apartment after a quick run to the market, the last thing they expected to find was Hanayo and Rin prancing around in their old school idol costumes.

"Hanayo? Rin? What are you doing?" asked Maki.

Both girls stopped midway through the dance of Sunny Day Song and turned to the others with sheepish looks.

"Well... Kayo-chin was reminiscing about the old days, so Rin suggested we try on our old costumes!" explained the ginger, "And we still fit!"

"Yeah... these really bring back memories," said Hanayo wistfully.

A giggle fell from Rin's lips. "Hey, remember that time we all imitated each other?" She brought a hand to her hair and began playing with her short orange locks. "What's with that? I don't get it... I just want to play piano and eat tomatoes all day long!"

She yelped as a pair of hands reached around her to paw at her chest. "Why Rin, I do believe you're asking for a washi washi," retaliated Maki.

Chuckling as Rin playfully tried to escape the redhead's clutches, Hanayo continued where the pair left off as she pulled out a very familiar routine. "Nico Nico nii~~!" she sang. "Anata no Heart ni Nico Nico-nii, Egao todokeru Yazawa Nico Nico~ Nico-nii te oboeteru Love Nico~mmMMPH!"

A pair of lips suddenly pressed against hers, then retreated momentarily before moving in again. Hanayo was quite surprised by the unexpected affection.

"Nico-chan, you're really eager," she remarked in-between kisses.

"Mmm... seeing you do my routine really gets me going..." confessed the ravenette with a sultry smile.

The next kiss was deeper, Nico pulling Hanayo closer so she could reacquaint herself with her lover's familiar, welcoming mouth. A quiet moan of contentment rumbled from the brunette's throat and her hands ran across Nico's hips before they started moving lower.

"Hmph. And you say I'm the amorous one," grumbled Maki indignantly. "I'm not the one getting all hot and bothered because of three stupid words."

Rin sent her a deadpan stare. "Maki-chan, that would sound a lot more convincing if you were still wearing clothes."

* * *

 **AN: Nozomi is best wingman. :P**


End file.
